


Something New

by jewelianna88



Category: Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 22:23:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6876304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewelianna88/pseuds/jewelianna88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michaela's not the only one in the family to run away, and Matthew notices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something New

**Author's Note:**

> Found this on my computer and figured if I posted Chapter 1 I might be inspired to write the rest. Please note this is UNFINISHED.

Matthew Cooper lived a solitary life. He woke up alone, tended to his horse and chickens alone, fixed himself breakfast alone, and then saddled his horse and rode into town alone. He spent most of the day sitting in the sheriff’s office, alone. For lunch or dinner he might join Dr. Mike, Sully, or his siblings, but at the end of the day, he rode home alone, stabled his horse, alone, and went to bed. Alone.

It was not the life he’d imagined for himself. With Ingrid, alone had never been an option. Ingrid came in with a built-in family of blonde haired girls who liked giggles and hugs and singing so that you never could get a moment’s peace. With Emma, it had been conversation, for she had something to say about everything. There was no quiet, and those times when he’d thought about a future, it had been full of people and family and happiness.

Now, he tried not to think about it, when he saw others his age with wives and babies. He was fine, alone. It was better than the heartache that came from love, which he had come to realize would never end happily for him. 

**

Things had been quiet in town over the past few weeks, which at first was a relief but the peace had stretched long enough that things were getting rather boring for a sheriff. Matthew, never one for book learning, had started borrowing books from the library just to have something to do during the day. The law books Dr. Mike’s father had sent were hard to get through but they kept his mind focused so it couldn’t stray to other things. 

When he heard the train approaching, Matthew closed the books and headed out to the station. The train brought trouble more often than not, and it was easier to head it off at the pass. With a sigh he locked the office and walked the short distance to the station, where the engine was just pulling in. The freight was minimal that day, and Horace was already had it half unloaded by the time the passengers finished disembarking. 

Judging that there was nothing to worry about given the passengers who were milling around the station, Matthew headed back to the jail. 

“Wait!” A woman called to him, and he turned. She was dressed in city finery, but looked travel-worn. Her light brown hair was slipping from its fancy knot, her boots dusty at the seams. “I know you!”

“You do?” he asked skeptically. “I think you’re mistaken.”

“You’re Matthew Cooper! We met in Boston!” Relief was apparent in her face. “Praise the stars I’m in the right place.”

Matthew tried to place her face, and though she looked somewhat familiar a name didn’t come to him. “I’m sorry Miss…”

“Sumner, Eleanora Sumner. My mother is Maureen, your mother’s sister. You came when my grandmother was ill and stayed for her birthday.”

“Right, yeah, of course.” In reality, Matthew didn’t remember much of Dr. Mike’s nieces and nephews. They’d spent most of the time looking down their noses at him, Colleen, and Brian. He stared at her face, trying to remember. She paused at his scrutiny, blushing and looking at the ground. 

Realizing he was being rude, Matthew took off his hat and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m looking for my Aunt Michaela. Please tell me she’s here! I don’t know if I could take another day on that train.” Clutching tightly to a drawstring bag, she looked as if she might fall over at any moment. Taking pity, Matthew looked around to help her with her bags. 

“Do you have any luggage?” he asked, seeing only brown paper parcels on the platform. 

A deep blush swept up her cheeks. “No, I. I don’t have anything.”

“Oh. Okay, ah.” Unsure of what to do, Matthew took her by the elbow and guided her to the street into town. “Let’s just find Dr. Mike then and, ah, yeah.” 

“Thank you.” She allowed him to lead her toward the clinic, looking around in awe. “I never thought it would look like this.”

“Like what?” he asked, expecting insults. 

“So rustic, but busy! Mother told me that there was no one out here on the frontier, but there are so many people!” She looked around in awe.

“Not compared to Boston.” Matthew knocked on the door to the clinic, but there was no answer. “She must be out.”

Exhausted, Eleanora dropped to the bench. “I’ll wait for her here then. Thank you, Matthew, really. You have no idea how good it was to see a familiar face getting off of the train.” For the first time she noticed the silver star attached to his vest. “Are you really the sheriff?”

“Yeah. You didn’t know?” He leaned against the balcony post casually, wondering what in the world this girl was doing in Colorado Springs. The more he studied her, the more he tried to remember her from Boston. He’d been so consumed with missing Ingrid that he hadn’t paid any attention to anyone there.

“Mother did not care to talk about Aunt Michaela. She said she was the black sheep of the family and talking about her was distasteful.” 

Matthew started to defend his surrogate mother, but Eleanora jumped to her feet. Turning, Matthew saw Dr. Mike and Sully walking toward them, Sully with Katie in his arms. 

“Aunt Michaela!” Eleanora rushed forward and threw her arms around Dr. Mike’s waist. 

Dr. Mike looked over her shoulder at Matthew, clearly having as little idea who this girl was. Matthew mouthed her name and recognition dawned on Dr. Mike’s face. She drew back from the embrace.

“Nora, what on Earth are you doing here?” She glanced at Sully, who stood close by her side.

“I didn’t know where else to go. You’re the only person I know outside of Boston. I had to get out of there, Aunt Michaela. Father promised me in marriage to a dreadful man, and he wouldn’t call it off no matter how much I begged him. I couldn’t go through with it, I just couldn’t!”

“So you came to Colorado?” Sully asked in disbelief. Even Matthew had to admit that was a long way to go to escape a wedding.

“I didn’t know where else to go. I had to get out of Boston and when I got to the train station I realized that everyone I knew lived there. You were the only one I could think of.” She hugged Michaela again tightly. “Oh thank goodness you’re here. I was afraid you may have moved and I would have come all this way for nothing.”

“It’s alright,” Dr. Mike soothed. “Do your parents have any idea where you are?”

“No. I left them a note saying that I couldn’t get married, not to him, and I left. I sold my engagement ring to pay for the train ticket.” She hung her head, ashamed at the rashness of her actions. 

“They must be worried sick.” Escorting her niece into the clinic, Dr. Mike glanced at Matthew on the way by. “Would you stay with her for a moment while I wire Maureen and let her know Nora is safe?”

“Sure,” Matthew answered, at the same time Nora exclaimed “No!”

“You can’t tell them where I am. They’d come after me!” Panic rang in her voice as she clutched Dr. Mike’s arm, pleading.

“Nora, you and I both know perfectly well that my sister and her husband are never going to get on a train to Colorado.” With a smile, she eased Nora’s white-knuckled grip off of her arm. “Just let me tell them you’re safe and then we can talk some more.”

Reluctantly, Nora let go. Sully followed Michaela, depositing Katie into Matthew’s arms. He jostled the toddler as he entered the clinic. Nora pulled off her gloves and set her bag down on the exam table. 

“So, ah, what was so bad about this guy you were supposed to marry?” he asked. 

Sighing, she dropped to a chair. “He’s a dreadful bore, to begin with. An Andover man – that’s a school – who does nothing but talk about how smart he is, or how athletic, or how much money he has.”

“Sounds terrible,” Matthew commiserated. 

“I could have lived with that, I suppose. But was constantly in the dance halls with the loose women, and I just couldn’t bear to have my husband come home to me every night smelling of cheap perfume and some other lady. Mother says that all men are like that, but I couldn’t bear it.”

“We’re not all like that,” Matthew promised. Katie was playing with his badge and he smiled at her as she flashed it in the light. 

Nora smiled up at him, and he saw something flicker in her eyes that stirred things deep inside of him unexpectedly. “I hoped she was wrong.”

“So, are you planning on staying for long?” She didn’t seem like one of the dainty, uppity girls he’d met at his grandmother’s house. Despite the fancy clothes, she seemed to have heart.

“I wasn’t really planning at all.” Brushing the dust from her skirt, she stood. “Now, are you going to let me hold my cousin?”

Passing Katie over, he watched as they got acquainted, fascinated by the Boston beauty who’d interrupted his day.

**

Matthew went to Dr. Mike and Sully’s for dinner that night, where Colleen had prepared a feast. Andrew hovered behind her anxiously, newlyweds in every sense of the word. Watching them, he tried not to be jealous that his little sister had gotten married before he’d made it down to the alter. 

Her trip finally over, Nora was clearly exhausted. Her cheeks, rosy that afternoon, had fallen pale and there were dark circles beneath her eyes. She picked at her dinner but was clearly worn out. Sensing that she needed to get to bed, they finished quickly and made fast work of the dishes. Dr. Mike wrapped a few extra biscuits in a napkin for Matthew to take home for breakfast, and he kissed her goodnight and said goodbye to the rest of his family. Katie ran at his legs and he bent to give her a hug. 

He made it halfway to the barn before realizing he’d set down the biscuits to hug Katie. Returning to get them, he paused just outside the door when he heard Nora say “I thought Matthew was engaged when he came to Boston with you. What happened?

Matthew froze. He heard Sully answer quietly “Ingrid died shortly after your Aunt Michaela and I married.”

“Oh, poor Matthew!” he heard her exclaim. He lifted his hand from the door handle and fisted it tightly. Hearing Ingrid’s name was still a punch to his gut. He quietly ran back down the steps and saddled his horse, leaving the food and the memories behind.

**

Sundays were Matthew’s day off from the sheriff’s office, unless there was a prisoner that needed guarding. Seeing that the cell was empty, Matthew took his time with the morning chores before mounting up and riding to church. The bell pealed loudly calling worshipers as he arrived, and he snuck in to sit behind his family just before the Reverend began the service.

Katie was fidgety through the sermon, and he watched as Dr. Mike and Sully passed her back and forth, not really listening to the lesson. Eventually, his little sister ended up in Nora’s lap, where she contented herself playing with the fringe on Nora’s shawl. It would be a tangled mess by the end of the service but Nora didn’t seem to mind. 

“You’re good with her,” he commented as the service ended. Free to run, Katie scampered down and raced outside. Nora stood and turned, smiling at him. She had been in town for only a few days but already looked less like Boston and more like Colorado. Colleen had lent her a change of dress and her hair flowed down her back, falling in soft waves. 

“Thank you. I have four younger brothers and sisters back in Boston, so I have plenty of practice. Though, the nursemaid does do most of the caring for them. I don’t know how Aunt Michaela manages!” 

As they slowly filed out of the church, Matthew took her elbow to help her down the steps. “She’s got a lot of help. We all pitch in when we can.”

“It’s wonderful, it truly is. It’s as if the whole town is your family.” They greeted the Reverend and headed to the wagon where picnic supplies were waiting. “And picnics! In Boston we would picnic along the Charles on nice days, but they were rare treats. I like the idea of picnics every Sunday.”

“And we’re glad you could join us for one,” Dr. Mike said as she approached behind them. She handed them the blanket. “Would you find us a spot?” 

Her gaze lingered on Matthew, who saw the gleam of matchmaking in her eyes. His usual resistance rose, though not nearly as strong as in the past. Taking the blanket, he led her to an open place in the field and spread the fabric on the ground. She sank gracefully and pulled off her dainty white gloves.

“Have you heard back from your ma?” he asked as they waited for Dr. Mike and Sully to bring the food. 

Nora’s gaze fell at the question and her voice softened, almost wavered. “She wired back yesterday. She said she’s glad I’m safe but it would be better if I didn’t return to Boston for a while. Until things settled.”

Matthew could sense the heartache in her. No child wanted to hear that they were not welcome in their home. Casually, he asked “Will you stay here, then?” 

“Aunt Michaela and Sully told me that I may stay as long as I wish. They’ve been so kind.” Glancing up to see them approaching, she reached for the basket of food and started to unpack it. 

Matthew looked around at the spread of food. “This looks great! Who made it?”

Sully burst into a laugh as Dr. Mike mocked insult. “Are you saying you don’t think I cooked all this myself?”

Matthew sputtered trying to find a way to answer that, but Brian chose that moment to arrive and save him. “Hey, this looks real good, Nora!”

“You made this?” Matthew asked. He took a plate and began to load it with food. They said grace and started to eat. There were fluffy rolls, fried chicken with a hint of savory spice, and a lemon pie with mounds of meringue stacked on top. It was much more than their usual Sunday sandwiches.

Nora ate in dainty bites, wiping her mouth carefully with her napkin. “I always loved helping the chef at home. Mother insisted I learn the basics of cooking in case I wasn’t able to afford help in the early years of my marriage. She didn’t approve of my continuing the lessons, but I found times when she was away to sneak in to the kitchen.” 

Matthew cleaned his plate and reached for seconds, being sure to save room for a piece of the delicious looking pie. He and Brian fought over the last piece of chicken, much to Dr. Mike’s amusement.

“I swear, between the two of you, you could eat a horse.” She picked up a knife and passed it to Nora. “Would you like to slice the pie?”

“Sure!” Nora knelt up to slice it, and winked as she slid a slightly larger piece on Matthew’s plate. One bite and he thought he’d died and gone to heaven.

“Nora, you should talk to Grace about sharing recipes,” Brian said. “I bet she’d love to serve this in the café.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Clearly embarrassed at the fussing over the meal, she sat back down and picked up her own plate. “I’m not really that good.”

“Yeah, you are.” Matthew, mouth full, reached for his lemonade to wash down the tangy sweet pie. “That’s a great idea Brian.”

“You know,” Dr. Mike said, talking slow like she always did when she was getting an idea, “if you’re going to be staying here for a while, maybe you could help Grace down in the café. She’s been somewhat overwhelmed lately and has been talking about hiring someone to assist. You’ve certainly got the culinary skills, and it would give you something to do while you’re here. What do you think?”

“Oh, I.” Nora glanced at Matthew, who shrugged. It was a good idea, if Grace went along with it. “I guess that would be okay.”

“I’ll take you down there now and introduce you to her,” Dr. Mike said. She stood, brushing off her skirt, looking around for Katie. 

“I’ll get her,” Sully said, seeing her running full tilt for the road. He caught up in a few strides and swept her, laughing, into the air. They started to walk back when there was a loud shout and a splash from the other side of the bridge.

“Dr. Mike!” Horace interrupted, running over. “It’s Jake! His horse got spooked by a snake and tossed him into the creek! I think his leg’s broke!”

“Oh dear.” Grabbing her bag from the wagon, Dr. Mike called out to Horace “Better get him to the clinic.” She turned to the family with a sigh of apology. “I guess I’ll have to take you to Grace’s later.”

“I could take her down,” Matthew heard himself offering, unsure of where the motivation came from. 

Dr. Mike and Sully shared a look, but she smiled at him and said “Thank you, Matthew” before rushing off to help Jake.

Standing, Matthew set his hat on his head and offered a hand to Nora. She stood gracefully, nervously brushing off her skirt. “Do I look all right?”

Swallowing, Matthew tried not to stare. “Yeah, you look fine. Come on.” They started to walk, though her fancy boots were clearly not meant for meadows. She stumbled and he instinctively held out his arm to steady her. She clung as they walked the rest of the way, and he didn’t even mind the stares that came from the rest of the townsfolk. She was almost like a cousin, he thought. Even though they weren’t technically related. She was just a pretty girl who was visiting and going back to Boston soon. It wasn’t worth getting all mixed up over her. He knew what happened when you fell for a girl who was destined to leave.

“You know who Grace is, right?” he asked as they approached the outskirts of town.

Nora nodded, glancing up at him. “She’s the colored woman who’s married to the blacksmith.”

“Right. I just wanted to make sure you knew, well. What you were volunteering for.” He knew Dr. Mike’s family had been abolitionists but Matthew had seen how many of proclaimed unionists reacted when faced with Freedmen in town. 

“You think I wouldn’t want to work for a black woman?” she asked.

“A lot of people don’t,” was all he answered, hoping she wasn’t insulted.

She held her head high as they reached the café. “Well, I’m not one of them. My father raised me to believe that no man is better than another other if they all work an honest day and lead a moral life. It might not be something I’d encounter in Boston, but I’m not in Boston any more, am I?” With that, she strolled into the café, right up to Grace and introduced herself. Matthew watched as they talked for a moment, before Nora picked up two plates and carried them over to a table, swinging back for the coffee pot to refill cups when she was done. Grace caught Matthew’s eye and raised and eyebrow.

“I, ah. I guess I’ll see you later, then. I’ll be over at the clinic if you need anything. Settling in for a long day of waiting, he found Brian sitting on the bench outside the clinic with his flute. Pulling his hat down over his eyes, Matthew kicked out his feet and rested, letting the quiet music and Sunday sounds from town lull him into a nap.


End file.
